Ivan Vasconcelos

Ivan Vasconcelos

BSc	Geophysics
PhD	Geophysics
BSc university	University of Sao Paulo
PhD university	Colorado School of Mines

Ivan Vasconcelos obtained a BSc in Geophysics from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2003. In 2004, he interned with GX Technology, Axis Imaging Division, Denver, working on the detection of azimuthal variations of attenuation in surface seismic data. In 2005, Vasconcelos worked at Shell International E&P with Vladimir Grechka on seismic characterization of fractured media and on the modeling of effective fractured media. In 2006, Vasconcelos interned with GXT’s Imaging Research team in Houston, Texas, working on wave-equation migration velocity analysis. He then pursued a PhD in Geophysics (2007) with the Center for Wave Phenomena at the Colorado School of Mines. After finishing his PhD, Vasconcelos joined the seismic industry first at ION Geophysical as a research geophysicist (2007–2010), and then joined Schlumberger Gould Research in Cambridge (2010), first as a senior, then principal research scientist until 2016. During his time in industry he was a visiting scholar at Edinburgh University (2010–2011) working closely with the Edinburgh Interferometry Project. Since 2016, he is an assistant professor of applied geoscience at Utrecht University in the Netherlands where he conducts research on wave propagation, imaging of global- and exploration-scale seismic data, radar imaging for cryosphere and planetary applications, and on the connections between imaging in geophysics and the medical fields. Vasconcelos acts as a technical reviewer not only in the field of geophysics, but also in applied mathematics (SIAM, Inv. Prob.), physics (Phys. Review, J. Appl. Phys.), and engineering (IEEE). He serves SEG as Assistant Editor for Special Sections (2012–2015) of Geophysics. He continues to serve as an Associate Editor for the journal. In 2018, Ivan was selected as an SEG Honorary Lecturer. In 2013, Ivan was awarded an Honorary Mention for best paper in Geophysics, and in 2015, SEG granted him the J. Clarence Karcher Award for his contributions to seismic interferometry, imaging, and redatuming.

2018 SEG Honorary Lecturer, Europe

Full-wavefield focusing in seismic imaging – Concepts, applications, and examples

Retrieving images of geologic features buried deep beneath complex overburdens that are meaningful in terms of structure and, more importantly, in terms of quantitative physical properties remains as a great and elusive challenge to the science of seismic imaging. Over the years, new seismic imaging and velocity model estimation methods often have relied on the concepts of wavefield focusing. As such, the principles and physics of focusing have become central to the theory and practice of seismic imaging.

In this lecture, we will review the physics and the formalism of focusing in its most general forms, by means reciprocity relations and language of seismic interferometry. This, in turn, will allow us to build a complete and intuitive understanding of seismic imaging by understanding how source- and receiver-side focusing come together in the retrieval of depth images. Through this exercise, we will not only cover the concept of depth images but also of depth-domain image gathers, i.e. extended images, as a natural consequence of understanding imaging in terms of focusing concepts. With several examples, this exercise will allow us to also discuss the role of primary and multiple reflections in imaging and set a context for current imaging practices using primaries versus novel advances seeking to retrieve geologic information encoded in the multiples at depth.

In the second part of the lecture we will cover the recently introduced method of Marchenko redatuming in the context of depth imaging, building on the focusing framework from the first part of the lecture. Here, we will discuss the physical concepts of the Marchenko scheme using the language and physics of focusing from the first part of the lecture. We will discover how this physical framework translates into practical redatuming schemes which rely on focusing to improve existing imaging results as well as to offer new imaging tools. We will cover the latest developments and examples of this approach (with synthetic and field data) while also pointing out its current shortcomings and opportunities for further advances.

Additional Resource

A recording of the lecture is available.

SEG J. Clarence Karcher Award 2014

Ivan Pires de Vasconcelos has published 21 papers in peer-reviewed journals, holds five patents, and has served as assistant editor for special sections of Geophysics. He co-organized the workshop “Interferometry: The evolution of a multidisciplinary field” at the SEG annual meeting in Houston in 2009, and he has served as chairman at various SEG annual meetings.

Biography Citation for the SEG J. Clarence Karcher Award 2014

Contributed by Roel Snieder, Andrew Curtis, James Rickett, and Filippo Broggini

Ivan Vasconcelos has an insatiable curiosity and an exceptional creative drive. He continuously looks into other fields such as mathematical physics and uses this to broaden himself. He can see connections between developments in other fields and his own research and is very effective at using such connections to enrich his own work. In his relatively short research career, he has published prolifically on a range of topics and has become a respected world leader in the growing field of seismic interferometry.

His groundbreaking contributions started during his Ph.D. studies at Colorado School of Mines, when he introduced the idea of interferometry by deconvolution as a method to overcome the traditional limits of interferometry by crosscorrelation and proved the idea on field data.

Ivan is extremely independent, he generates ideas at a high pace, and he is quick to see applications of his ideas. His skills at numerically implementing new theories or concepts are impressive, which makes him highly effective at rapidly testing new theoretical concepts and applying them to data examples. He understands that such applications are essential in taking theory beyond the abstract level. This allows him to not only be imaginative in theoretical work but also to have an impact on practical applications.

Ivan’s research on creating broadside images of the San Andreas fault from drill-bit noise was published in the prestigious journal, Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists recently honored his contribution with an honorable mention of his paper “Imaging condition for nonlinear scattering-based imaging: Estimate of power loss in scattering” in Geophysics.

His contributions to exploration geophysics are numerous. Specific examples include: links between representation theorems of seismic interferometry and inverse-scattering Lippmann-Schwinger formulations of seismic imaging; new workflows for characterizing the subsurface with extended image-point gathers; and developing the idea of extended image-point gathers to account for nonlinearities and multiple scattering in the background model.

Since graduating, Ivan has worked in industry, first for ION Geophysical and since 2010 at Schlumberger Gould Research. His recent work has involved exploring how seismic imaging can be integrated more closely with acquisition, for example, by looking at the added value that comes from recording both a field and its gradient. This has led to his development of new methods for imaging vector-acoustic data, in particular multicomponent marine-streamer data.

Despite his independence of thought, Ivan is a loyal and humble collaborator and is always open to constructive criticism to his work. The large number of scientists with whom he has worked will attest that he is extremely social and has an outgoing personality infused with humor and laughter. He was a point of reference for other students, helping them with theoretical and computational issues. He is also admirable for his honesty and willingness to stand up for the needs of others.

Ivan is an assistant editor of Geophysics, taking on the considerable challenge and workload of special sections. The energy and professionalism with which he takes this responsibility show his genuine dedication to service.

Ivan is an exceptional person from both professional and personal points of view. His skills in the physics and mathematics of wave propagation and imaging, his creativity, his insatiable curiosity, his ability to make theory applicable to practical problems, and his wonderful personality make him one of the strongest geophysicists in his age group. For these reasons, it is with great pleasure that we congratulate him for this recognition. He is truly a young geophysicist of outstanding creativity, energy, and abilities.

Honorable Mention (Geophysics) 2012

Clément Fleury and Ivan Vasconcelos share a 2012 Honorable Mention (Geophysics) for their paper Imaging condition for nonlinear scattering-based imaging: Estimate of power loss in scattering.

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